The Delaware ledger. (Newark, Del.) 1879-19??, 1887-12-03

,
with him. The next morning he
told Rita of his fears and secured
her consent to remain indoors for
several days.
ave must run no risks" the old
man said, as he stroked her head af-
fectionately.
On the morrow Rita would be
eighteen. Valdez passed the day in
a state of dazed exhilaration. He
refused to let his daughter come
down stairs to breakfast, for fear that
she would trip.
"No coffee, my DEAR" he said, "a
glass of lemonade is more whole
some. Heavens !" he shrieked.
what is it asked the astonished
girl.
There is a lemon seed in the
glass" said her father. "You might
have swallowed it."
"Rita laughed. 1t was such tri-
file, she told her father. But Valdez
would have his way. He poured
out another glass, and examined
every particle of food that came into
the room. He prohibited meat, be-
cause it might produce fever. He
was just as particular about every
thing, and before the day was over
Rita grew so nervous that she did
not much care whether she lived or
died. Before night the windows
were securely barred, the room was
searched to see that no assassin had
concealed himself, and finally at a
late hour Valdez told his daughter
that he was afraid to give her any
supper.
"The truth is" he said, II am
afraid of poison"
May l have a few bananas ?"
pleaded the senorita.
Bananas" shouted her father,
"Why of course. They cannot hurt
you. Yes you shall have a whole
bunch.
He gave his orders, and in a few
minutes the tempting looking fruit
was brought into the room. Veldez
kissed his daughter and locked her
in. He did not tell her of his pur-
pose but all night long he paced the
hall in his stocking feet with a pistol
in his hand.
The first glimmor of dawn came
through the windows of the pal
ace.
"Rita's eighteenth birthday Y
said the happy father with smiling
face. "She is safe, and what is more
she will be a princess !"
Gradually the servants began to
stir, and the bright sunshine bathed
the walls in flood Of glory. Senior
Vandez quietly unlocked the door
to the well-guarded chamber, and
stole in on tip-toe. In moment
the widest shrieks and cries rang
through the palace. The servants
rushed to Rita's room, and the un-
utterable horror of the sight before
them struck even the boldest dumb.
Senor Valdez lay stretched out in
death-like swoon. On the bed lay
Rita her face whittier than the snowy
pillow. There was a horrible brown,
hairy something on her throat
One of the women approached gem
tly, and tore the ugly thing away,
and killed it with her slipper. 1t
was tarantula, and it had done its
deadly work only too well. Rita's
throat bore the mark of its poison
GUS sting. The servants understood
it all when they saw a bunch of ba-
nanas in chair by the bed. The
tartantula had crawled out during
the night, and had stung the lovely
victim to death while she slept
Valdez recovered consciousness,
but it was only to be driven from
the palace to the asylum. To the
day of his death he remained a glib
bering maniac, without the faintest
gleam of sanity. Perhaps it was a
blessing to have his mind so COM
pletely wiped out.
When the Empress Carlotta heard
of the death of her favorite she at
once discontinued her court enter